The Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS), Rand Water and the Energy and Water Sector Education and Training Authority (EWSETA) hosted a War on Leaks workshop, on July 7, at the Birchwood Hotel.
The aim of the workshop was to update relevant stakeholders on the status of the programme, challenges experienced, roles and responsibilities of the department and solutions to the challenges.
The War on Leaks, launched in August, last year, by the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS), has been one of the government’s commitments to curb the high unemployment rate, by training 15 000 unemployed artisans, plumbers and water agents over five years to repair leaking taps and pipes.
The second phase will see 7 000 youth taking part in the programme, on July 18, in Tshwane.
Speaking at the workshop, Deputy Minister of Water and Sanitation Pamela Tshwete said the training of plumbers and artisans is a means by which government aims to impart much-needed skills to the youth, to drastically reduce the high rate of unemployment and address non-revenue and unaccounted for water loses.
Tshwete further elaborated that there was a need for communication between stakeholders, so that trainees better understand the aim behind the training programme.
Ndileka Mohapi, Acting Deputy Director General of the department, encouraged water sectors to support the War on Leaks programme.
“Municipalities should aggressively implement water conservation and demand management strategies for effective results,” she said.
“Municipalities should also increase revenue and encourage consumers to fix leaks and target illegal water connections. The on-going monitoring and reporting of municipal water losses should continue.”
According to Percy Sechemane, CEO of Rand Water, some of the key challenges faced in the phase two recruitment of the learners through priority municipality and community engagement, were the mistakes they made when they were applying.
“Some of the learners have not met the minimum age requirements (18-35), some did not meet the minimum qualification requirements and some did not submit correct contact details, while others did not know which wards they represented or did not have the correct documentation,” Sechemane said.
EWSETA CEO, Errol Gradwell, highlighted the successes of the department since it has been involved in the War on Leaks project.
He said the attendance of the trainees in all constituencies ranges between 90 per cent and 99 per cent.
Meanwhile, the learners are performing well due to prior knowledge, especially those who have completed their N4 and N6 and are waiting for trade testing.
He said there was a high level of excitement, confidence and security and also high levels of public interest and interactive communication between the communities and the learners.
